Hollow building block



Jan. 25, 1955 l.. J. scHoENLElN 2,700,296

HOLLOW BUILDING BLOCK Filed May 17, 194s 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 25, 1955 L. J. scHoENLElN 2,700,296

HoLLow BUILDING BLOCK Filed May 17, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 HOLLOW BUILDING BLOCK Lawrence I. Schoenlein, Baltimore, Md.

Application May 17, 1949, Serial No. 93,747

3 Claims.v (Cl. 72-41) l This invention relates to a building block which may be constructed of cement, cinder block or other materials. t

kThe building block of the invention is designed to interlock with adjacent blocks and it is designed primarily to be readily alignable with adjacent blocks' in o rder to make the spacing between the blocks uniform and in order to make the block walls absolutely vertical or plumb. The building block consists primarily of two spaced panels separated and joined together by crosswalls and the cross-walls are so spaced in the block that when the blocks are erected in staggered horizontal rows or in vertical alignment that there will be continuous passages vertically between the cross-walls for the conduits for house facilities that are usually passed through the walls such as plumbing, electricity and gas. The spacing ribs on both panels, resting in contact with ribs on the lower blocks, insure equal mortar distribution and equal load distribution in the wall, and consequently complete stability of the walls. Building blocks have generally been so heavy that they have been dificult to handle and another object of this invention is to place hand holes at the ends of the block so that they may be readily handled. Another object of the invention is to place furring strips on the back of the blocks and to provide the strips with a porous slab or panel which could either be the final inner wall iinish or plaster could be applied directly to the slabs. Yet another object of the invention is to provide a block which may have integrally with it such front surface design as may be desired, a brick surface design being illustrated.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof and in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a single block.

Figure 2 is an end elevation of a wall showing several rows of blocks.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view of the vertical joint between two blocks in one row on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a similar view on line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a front elevational View of a wall built of the blocks of this invention.

Figure 6 is a rear elevational view of the same.

Figure 7 is a top plan view of the same.

Figure 8 is a vertical sectional view on line 8--8 of Figure 7.

Figure 9 is an end view of alternate blocks when faced with brick.

In the drawings similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The block is made up of front and rear panels, 1, 2. The front panels as illustrated have preformed thereon a simulation of bricks 3. The panels are connected by spaced crosswalls 4.

Peripherally extending around both front and rear panels are beads or ribs 5 which are preferably placed around the panels near their adjacent faces. The ribs, as shown, on each panel of each block are half as wide as is the desired channel 6 between adjacent blocks. This leaves room for mortar 7 between the cross-walls 4 and the panels, both front and rear as shown at In placing the blocks one upon the other no mortar is placed on the ribs 5 either on the top or ends of the panels prior to the placing of the next block, rather the 2,700,296 Patented-Jam -25, 195%5 The adjacent 'blocks are then aligned with the ribsl in exact alignment and in` contact with each other and by' this guidanceexact spacing between blocks is obtained and also exactvertical alignment of the blocks is obtained. The; blocks are securely locked together by means of the 'mortar between the walls as shown'in Figures 2 and 8. 1

The cross-'walls 4 are positioned so that those nearest the end arespaced part way from the ends, and as illustrated theyfare halt:` the distance from the ends of the blocks as* there is space between the respective cross; walls. By/t'his construction when the blocks are laid in rows horizontally and those in the upper row' are staggered in' relation to those in the lower, the crosswalls 4 of -t'he'upper block will fall vimmediately overv half the cross-walls on the two adjacent lower blocks the top of the panels to the front and back of ribs 5.

so that a vertical space as shown at 9 goes the whole depth of thejwall forming an air space which insulates the wall in the'best manner possible and also forming spaces for conduits for household services Each block hasin the cross-wall nearest the end of the block hand holes 10 which have metal inserts 1l. placed therein gli glve the erector a smooth and easy grip upon Vthe 0c n v .j

The front surfaces of the blocks may have on them any desiredpattern. vBricks are shown in the present instance and-in order to make the divisions between 'thev blocks as inconspicuous as possible, the bricks are shown on each block with the ends of some bricks coinciding with the ends of the blocks as shown at 12. Since it is, of course,y desired to illustrate the bricks as also being staggered, the joint between some blocks will come at the brick. center, half being on each adjacent block as shown at. 13. In this instance the portion of the channel that would exist between the ends of adjacent blocks, on -the'front panel, is built up as shown at 14, back of these` simulated bricks. It will, of course, be apparent, as shown in the lower row of blocks in Figure 5 that the center brick on adjoining blocks will require a different block end formation, as shown in Figure 9, in which one half of the center brick projects to the end of the block as shown at 15 and in which event the portion of the channel between blocks back of it will be built out as shown at 16 in Figure 9. Although it is desired to make the blocks as nearly uniform as possible, this departure from uniformity is required when bricks form the facing.

The rear of the block has thereon vertically extending furring strips 17. These furring strips are also spaced on the rear of the block so that when adjacent horizontal rows of the blocks are staggered, the furring strips will form a substantially continuous vertical strip, that is, the end strips on one block will be vertically between the strips on the centers of the blocks above and below. It is preferred that the furring strips have on them and formed with them, as well as with the whole block, the slabs 18 which are preferably porous so that the plaster will adhere directly to them, or wall board could be glued to them.

This slab is preferably extended around the edges of the block to coincide with the outward extent of theribs 5 and the edges are rounded as shown at 19 so that the slabs could form the interior surface of the wall without it being necessary to add other interior finishes thereto.

It will, of course, be apparent that both the bricks 3 and the slab 18 could be formed of the same material as the whole block or they could beformed separately on the block after the block is finished, in which event they could take different formations both of material panels and thecross-i spaced' front and rear substantially rectangular panels, titer-tary receiving edges extending periphei'allyA substan-f tially around each panel at right angles' to the panel faces for a substantial portion of the thickness of the panels, a rib extendingjperipherally outwardly-,from said edges, of both panels; at the inside face of each panel. iii-ish; therewith and in the direction of, theplanes. of; the panel faces; each riby havingfan outer weight sustaining` edge normal to` the` panel face, the congpration oithe top and: bottom and the endsrespective1y, of thef'panels, being identical, ribs on adjacent blocks whenY the blocks are assembled into arwall, free. o mortar on the; weight sustainingedges of; the ribs, beingaligned together: to evenlyspace: the blocks and tov serve, as guides toalgn thebloclts vertically and horizontally,Y the, ribs on ad.- jacent blocks spacing the blocks to form a channel therebetween` double. thel width of the ribs for the receipt-of mortar thereinV and whereby mortar when placed on the edgesA nextA to thev ribs prevents sidewise displacement of the blocks, a plurality of vertically extending and' substantially spacing crossfwalls between and attachingl said panels; together spaced laterally substantiallyY from the adjacent panel side edges, whereby the edge registry of the perimeter of the inner panel faces and ribs with adjacent blocks is readily apparent between the panels, the tops and bottoms of the cross-walls being substantially inthe planes of the edges of the tops and bottoms of the panels, said cross-walls being spaced one from the other and being positioned for the receipt of; mortar to'l connect. them with the cross-walls of the adjacent upper and lower blocks.

- e 2. The block of claim 1 including integral vertically .extending f-urring strips on; the outer face ofthe rearl panel, the strips extending vertically beyond the mortar receiving edges of the rear panel, corresponding in extent to the rib therearound, to form a further sidewise interlock upon placing mortar around the edges.

3. The block of claim 1 including integral vertically extending furring strips on the outer face of the rear panel, said strips being spaced horizontally on the panel to form a substantially 'continuous vertical strip with strips on vertically adjacent blocks,u when two layers of blocks are arranged in staggeredE relation one upon the other, the strips extending vertically beyond the. mortar receiving edges' of the rear panel, correspondingv in eX- tent to the rib therearound to forrnf a further sidewise interlock upon placing mortar around the edges and a slab extending across the strips on each block, coextensive with the outermost extent of the ribs.

References. Ctedjin the file of` this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 863,493 Amen`r --i Aug., 13, i901 938,678 MacBeth Nov. 2, 1909 1,444,422/ Meyer Feb. 6, 1923 2,019,653 Buyer Nov* 5-, 1935 FOREIGN PATENTS Y 20,321- Sweden. Jan. 5 190,6A

541.853. Great Britain Dec. 15. 194.1 

